Dark Beauty & The Enchanting Darkness
by ShyGirl2008
Summary: The Beast and Belle will need to fall in love with each other through out time to break his curse and he needs to heal Belle's heart from a tragic situation in return before she falls completely into the dark side forever.
1. Chapter 1 Two Lives Change Forever

Author's Note: I dedicate this story to my Mom who always believed in me being an artist and a writer.

**Chapter 1 Two Lives Change Forever**

**Belle**

Life in the French village seemed anything but ordinary. The townspeople were friendly to each other and busied themselves with their daily routine. A young girl with a heart shaped face, brown eyes, a pert nose, and full red lips. Wearing a sky-blue dress with white long sleeves dressed like a maiden was walking around with a book in front of her face. Belle took a second to look up at the sky blue skies and the white clouds above. She felt as if today of all days was perfect, with the beautiful weather and no Gaston around begging her to be his wife.

Belle ignored the usual stares that the townspeople had given her on a daily basis. Though she keeps reminding herself not to worry about what other people think of her. In the back of her mind there are doubts resurfacing telling her that she should stop acting so oddly.

_'I am who I am and I should not act like a clone to please them. I would not be happy with myself if I did decide to be one.' _Belle thought to herself feeling exasperated with her own doubts.

She had looked down at her book again and found a blank page and writing had appeared inscribed within a few lines saying:

_There once was a young maiden in a village._

_Who looks forward to going on a daring adventure._

_Instead, of reading about heroines and heroes adventures._

_She does not yet know what she will be getting into._

_Once she's on her first adventure._

After Belle had read the few lines that she assumed was a poem had faded away from the blank page and then the words reappeared on the page she was going to read next. She had started to wonder if something magical was going on around her, but she wanted to wait until she made it back home to her father and siblings. Belle was not paying any attention to what was going on around the village. As she was about to walk pass a dim alley there was a shadow figure watching Belle. The shadow figure was walking out carefully and cautiously, so that Belle would not have a chance to run away. The figure is tall, has black hair tied into a ponytail, and looks masculine. He was wearing a red shirt with a belt on, black pants, orange gloves, and brown boots. He held his shot gun firmly in his left hand. Gaston's lips formed into a sneaky smirk as he yanked Belle by the waist with one hand and his other hand covered her mouth, so she would not be able to scream out for help. Belle's eyes widened in shock as her book made a thud on the cobble sidewalk, and she was scared to know what was going to happen to her next.

"Belle don't try to fight me. You know that you can't win." Gaston said sweetly to Belle as he stroked her face as he moved up closer to her.

"Gaston please leave me alone! What do you want from me?" Belle said to Gaston in a firm tone as she backed away from him.

Gaston ignored what Belle said to him and he pulled her into a tight hug forcefully and he was whispering into her ear. Telling her about how beautiful she was and that he wanted all of her, and wanted her to feel the same way for him. Once Belle heard that she squeezed out of the hug and started running towards the villas full of people. Gaston grew angry with Belle and started running after her. Belle was sure that she was going to be free, but a strong hand caught her flowing dress and pulled her back hard. She had went in blinding speed flying backwards and hit the brick wall facing Gaston a few inches away from her face.

"Now I got you where I wanted you to be. " Gaston said to Belle in a husky tone as he began feeling over her hair, rubbing her stomach, and rubbing his body against her repeatedly.

Gaston let out an aroused sigh after he rubbed himself against Belle, for so long and told her to leave before anybody would be suspicious. Belle felt like her whole body had went numb and became weightless. It was hard for her to believe that she was happy to have a new book to read and then it all seemed like a distant memory compared to the tragedy she had just endured.

_'Why didn't I just scream for help? Instead, of having to endure the terrible act that scared me completely.' _Belle thought to herself as she picked up her book and basket, too.

Belle hurriedly snatched her hand away from his grasp and looked at him, with such hatred and disgust that she wanted him to stop pursuing her and go after the triplet blonde girls who she knows are still pining for him.

"Why aren't you chasing around those blonde triplet girls? I'm sure that one of them would love to marry you." Belle said to Gaston noticing how he walked up closer to her.

"I feel nothing for those girls. I want to be with you and have you all to myself," Gaston said to Belle as he grasped her hands and leaned his face down towards hers.

_'No, please don't let him kiss me. I would rather be consumed in my own chaotic darkness then to be his woman.' _Belle thought to herself though she felt dirty in the inside.

Gaston's lips were an inch before hers and all Belle could breathe in was his breath that strangely smelled sweet to her. Belle could have sworn her heart was beating, so fast that she could at any second faint from all the recent excitement. Finally, she had built up enough strength and courage to get away from him.

"Don't worry, Belle I will see you again." Gaston said to Belle's retreating back.

* * *

**The Beast**

Later on that same day it was night time far away from the village; in the deep woods there is a nice and pristine castle. The ruler of this castle was named Prince Adam and he was feeling cozy enjoying the dreary weather. Until, there was a knock at the door that echoed throughout the castle. The young man with blondish-brown hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing a white shirt and red pants, with a fair skin tone had walked up to the door. As he opened the heavy door he saw a short old lady, with a humped back and hook nose wearing a black cloak with the hood over her head.

"Good evening, sir. Would you let an old beggar spend the night in your warm castle?" The old beggar said to Adam kindly.

"I would never let anybody repulsive as you enter my castle," Adam said to the old beggar.

"You didn't let me finish saying what I was going to offer. For the stay as a thank you I am going to give you a rose." The old beggar said as she pulled out a healthy, red rose from her cloak pocket.

Adam looked at the rose and then at the old beggar. He couldn't believe that she was expecting him to take a rose as her token of thanks. He could feel his cheeks flaring up that was when, he was sure that he was about to get angry. Adam balled his hands into fists and could feel his anger rising even more. The old beggar's mouth flopped open in surprise over the young prince about to throw a tantrum.

"Wench I have listened to what you had to say and I refuse to let you step foot any further in my castle!" Adam said to the old beggar practically growling out the words to her.

Lightning had struck and brightened the sky up the old beggar raised her head up and Adam looked down at her with fury in his blue eyes. The old lady pulled her hood back and transformed into a tall and statuesque young woman. She has a fair complexion and long, blondish-brown hair, a crown on her head, and she wore a yellow-green dress that dragged down to her feet. Adam was awed by this young woman's beauty it made him instantly want to apologize to her.

"It's a shame that you have everything your heart desires, but you are blind to not see the real meaning of beauty." The enchantress said to Adam in a remorseful tone.

"My apologies, madamoiselle. Beauty is obviously seen from the outside." Adam said to the enchantress.

"You weak apology and answer saddens me. You have proven that there is no love in your heart from your shallow words." The enchantress said to Adam as she whipped out her wand from thin air.

Adam was about to ask the enchantress what she was going to do to him. Nevertheless, she waved her wand in front of him and then Adam had started levitating in mid air. The gold magic dust swirled all around him and he was trying to break out of the magic hold but he was bound by the enchantress spell. He began to roar out in pain, but it sounded more animal than man. Brown thick fur had grew out on his head and face, his teeth turned into fangs, then his arms and legs, but his feet grew out longer than the average man. He grew out a tail and little black horns on his head, too. His clothes had huge rips and tears in them when he floated down to the ground.

"What have you done to me?" Adam roared out to the enchantress full of rage.

"You cannot put the blame on me because you believe that beauty can only be seen on the outside." The enchantress said to Adam as she turned transparent and then disappeared.

Adam could hear her faint voice saying:

_There is someone out there that is cursed like you._

_But that person is your only key._

_To setting you free from your own misery._

_Be patient and when the time is right that person will come to you._

* * *

**Belle**

Alone in the cottage that Belle and her father calls home didn't seem like it to her anymore. She wondered how could something that didn't seem like a big deal, but now as she is leaning on the wooden door. Thinking about how happy she was to have a new book, but after what Gaston had done to her and made her feel completely helpless afterwards.

_'I could tell, Father what happened to me. However, most likely he would end up spreading the incident to the whole village.' _Belle thought to herself in exasperation.

Belle walked over towards the sitting area where her book sat on the coffee table. She picked up the book and then turned around as she found herself facing the enchantress.

"Oh, hello. Who are you?" Belle said to the enchantress politely.

"I'm just an enchantress and I have some important things to tell you. Belle please just listen to me." The enchantress said to Belle.

Belle wanted to know how the enchantress knew her name, but she didn't want to be rude towards her guest. Just looking at her it instantly brought back a memory of a strange poem that reoccured in her book. She wondered if that was what the enchantress wanted to talk about with her. Lately, she knew that she had wanted to go on an adventure. However, for some reason she had thought that was what the enchantress was going to grant her.

"I have foreseen that something bad has happened to you, so I have decided to make your dream intoa reality." The enchantress said to Belle casually.

"Every since I was little I always had dreams going to a faraway land that never existed. I would love for you to make my dream come true." Belle said to the enchantress trying to fake her excitement; as she tried to get over Gaston feeling all over her.

Subconsciously, through Belle's mind she could feel him holding her hand and touching her body. Her brown eyes widened when she felt like Gaston was breathing heavily down her neck. Belle gasped out loud in shock and slowly began to realize that she was still in the cottage alone with an enchantress. She could feel that her adrenaline was lowering and within seconds everything seemed to make only little sense to her.

"In order to go on your dream adventure. You will have to leave the one that you love the most behind. In order to gain another love that is cursed like you." The enchantress recited to Belle.

"Love is one of the most powerful things in human nature. Leaving my love for my father behind for a while will be difficult, but I am willing to do anything to break this curse that has been put on me." Belle said to the enchantress intuitively.

Belle never thought that if she was magically offered a chance to go on an adventure. She never would

have guessed that she would have to leave her father behind. A thought has crossed her mind that there must be a reason why the enchantress wants her to abandon her father and runaway on an adventure as a cursed maiden. She knew that abandoning her love for her father, and getting away from the cottage would be the most greatest thing to ever happen to her. Belle knew despite what choice she was about to make that her father would not be mad about her decision.

* * *

**The Beast**

If it was possible to change what he said earlier to the enchantress, Adam without a doubt would never have said those ugly words to the olg hag if he had known how beautiful she was. In the foyer of his castle he was sulking over the enchantress turning him into a beast.

"My face is hideous and covered in fur, my hands look twice the size of a man, and my feet are way bigger than the average man." Adam said to Lumiere angrily as he paced back and forth.

"No, no, Adam you must not think so negatively. You heard what the enchantress said there's somebody out there who equals your misery." Lumiere said to Adam in a calm voice.

"Lumiere I no longer want to be called Adam, for now on call me the Beast." Beast said to Lumiere furiously.

Lumiere looked at Beast and could see his clear blue eyes darken as he glared icily ahead.

"I will just be on my way, Master." Lumiere said to Beast trying to hide the timidness in his voice.

Beast stood like a statue looking at the heavy wooden door, but he was no admiring the craftsmanship. His thoughts were wandering on what his parents would think of him, whenever they would invite him to see them on Christmas. Then he had thought about all the young girls wanting to marry him, so they could become a princess and have no care in the world for the rest of their lives. Even though he had never felt like he had met a young woman that was desirable enough for him. Feeling lost in his unexpected misery and spiraling down into his own despair.


	2. Chapter 2 Leaving Something Behind

**A/N: This story is dedicated to my mom R.I.P. (May 15, 1961- June 23, 2012). I wanted to thank her for always supporting me and believing that I can do anything with her support and as long as I believed in myself.**

**Chapter 2 Leaving Something Behind**

**Belle**

Belle is just the youngest maiden girl out of her two eldest sisters and she has three brothers as well. She stood up in awe at the enchantress. Little did Belle know her two sisters were eavesdropping on her conversation with the enchantress.

The oldest sister has an oval shape face, long dark brown hair that stops at the middle of her back, her eyes are olive-green, and she is wearing a red maiden dress similar to Belle. Her name is Jolie and she is the tallest one out of her two sisters. The other sister has a round face, shoulder length dark brown hair, her eyes are light blue, and she is wearing a green maiden dress similar to Belle and Jolie. Her name is Mirielle and she wanted to know why the enchantress was in their home.

"What is a witch doing at our house?" Mirielle asked Jolie in a harsh whisper.

"How should I know? Belle is the oddest maiden ever! Even when we were middle class a few men flocked all over her, but she never told me what happened to them." Mirielle said to Jolie in a bitter tone.

"I heard at our old town that Beauty only cared about father and her stupid obsession with books." Jolie said to Mirielle in her monotone voice.

Mirielle sighed and then rolled her eyes as she shushed at Jolie to be quiet. They looked from a far at Belle and the beautiful enchantress still talking to each other.

"Enchantress I have come to a decision and I am willing to leave my love for my father behind, to pursue my dream to go on my adventure and see the world." Belle said to the enchantress confidently.

"You have made a wise choice that not too many young women would consider to do." The enchantress said to Belle.

"Since I have made my decision I will have to go upstairs and pack up my things." Belle said to the enchantress about to run upstairs in a hurry.

"That won't be necessary I have packed up everything that I know you will need. I will be here for you whenever you are in danger or need some guidance." The enchantress said to Belle as she faded away.

Belle turned around and saw her two sisters standing on top of the stairs. She was shocked that they were there all that time. She knew that her two sisters would ridicule her, for sacrificing love to go on a dream adventure. Belle knew her sisters never thought about love as a special bond between a man and a woman. All their vain minds were thinking about was marrying rich men, so they could leave the old cottage.

"Dearest Beauty I cannot believe you are sacrificing to leave your love for father behind." Mirielle said to Belle in a pretend astonished way.

"Mirielle, even heroes have to leave something behind that they truly love. Then in the end of the journey a hero gains something that he never expected to have." Belle said to Mirielle casually as she walked up the steps.

"Don't be so melodramatic about leaving our cottage and country life behind," Jolie said to Belle in a guarded and threatening tone.

Belle rolled her eyes, squeezed by her sisters, and walked to the first door that was open, which is the room that they all shared together ever since they lost everything. She knew that she was all ready to go, but she could not just leave home for a while without leaving a letter for her father behind. A pad of lineless paper and a pen sat on her small bureau; Belle picked up the items and sat down on her bed.

_Dear Papa, I will not be here whenever you come back from the village. I have gotten a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on my adventure that I have always dreamed of. Therefore, I have made my decision to take it since I am going through a traumatic experience right now. I have no idea how long I will be gone, so please do not worry about me. Somehow, I will be able to write you another letter soon._

After she wrote the letter, she neatly folded the letter up, and entrusted Jolie and Mirielle to give it to their father whenever he returned. Jolie and Mirielle shared a telepathic evil glint with each other and told Belle to leave before dark sneaks on her.

"I love you, sisters." Belle said to Jolie and Mirielle as she walked out the cottage front door.

"We love you, too Beauty!" Jolie and Mirielle said in a fake sincere voice.

"Good riddance to her. I am glad that she is gone. Why should we give father her precious letter when out prayers have finally been answered?" Mirielle said to Jolie with a devilish grin on her face, while her eyes sparkled with glee and satisfaction.

Jolie looked back at her sister and quickly wiped the devilish grin off her face.

"Jolie now that Belle is gone forever. I doubt she will come back alive. Who knows maybe a death telegram will arrive to our cottage sooner or later." Mirielle said to Jolie coolly.

"I just came up with a plan. Lovely, Belle entrusted me with this letter. We are going to make sure that father and our brothers will be filled with complete misery and heartache." Jolie said to Mirielle as she wrote down the letter and read:

_Dear Papa, I tired of living as a poor maiden in this little cottage. I have decided to kill myself and I am not sorry for what I am about to do. That is if a rich man does not desire to wed me._

_Adieu forever, Belle_

Jolie and Mirielle smiled at each other. Soon after Belle was out of their sight, the girl's three brothers and father came up.

* * *

**Donovan**

"Enchantress I need to discuss my punishment?" The Beast asked aloud to the enchantress waiting for her to appear in thin air.

"Adam what is there to discuss? You will embrace the beast that you are on the outside. Like I said there is a young girl out there who is miserable in the inside, but she has her own beauty on the outside." The enchantress said to Beast sternly.

"I don't want to be called Adam that's my human name. Just call me, Donovan since this name means dark warrior." Donovan said to the enchantress.

"There is one rule I will enforce you not to do." The enchantress said to Donovan.

Beast looked at the enchantress with a quizzical expression on his beastly face. He was shocked that she was going to enforce something else on him. Before he could say a word, the enchantress had started speaking.

"You cannot hold the young girl captive in your castle. She will have to come to you willingly and once she does. She cannot leave the castle grounds until the curse is broken." The enchantress said to Donovan.

"I will do as you say, Enchantress. However, what I would like to know is. Why would you think I would want to hold a young maiden captive? If I would have done that I would think of myself as a monster."Donovan said to the enchantress with sadness in his voice.

The enchantress looked into Donovan's eyes trying to stall on what she was going to say to him next.

"Donovan I didn't imply that you would be bitter and selfish enough to keep her trapped like an animal. I was just giving you a warning and now I must go…" The enchantress said to Beast as she began to fade away.

Donovan did not want to talk to any of the people that were tending to his every need whenever he would request it. He had requested them to go in their rooms so he could be alone and wallow in his own darkness. Donovan raised his hands towards his beastly face and could see that his hands were twice the size than a human male's and that the hairs on them were thick like a wild beast. His blue eyes became glassy as if he wanted to shed tears of anguish and sadness over how beastly his hands looked. Then Donovan looked at himself in the mirror that was standing right in front of him hanging on the wall, and when he saw his face and how he looked a deformed beast with many animal features a deep piercing roar came out of his throat and through his mouth.

'_I am so ugly and hideous! What kind of young maiden would ever learn to love a beast like me and turn me back into a prince?' _Donovan thought to himself as he kept on roaring at his reflection in the mirror.

* * *

**Belle**

She arrived in the woods and was far away from civilization. Belle was looking around for the things she needed that the enchantress promised that she would give to her. The woods looked spooky, grim, and quiet there was no animals in sight or that she could hear.

'_Belle this is where your journey begins, but remember what I am about to tell you.' _The enchantress said to Belle through her mind.

'_Wait enchantress before you tell me what you have to say. I want to know what your name is.' _Belle said to the enchantress through her mind.

'_My name is Dahlia, my loving Beauty.' _Dahlia said to Belle through her mind.

'_Dahlia is a beautiful name.' _Belle said to Dahlia through her mind.

'_Thank you and what I have to tell you are vital information. The woods have changed as far as you can see. Nothing is what it seems in those woods anymore. What you need is in those woods and I will guide them to you. These woods will change who you are and make you out to become a dark maiden or a light maiden. You will never be the person that you once were anymore.' _Dahlia said to Belle through her mind as her voice was trying to fade away.

'_What do you mean I will never be the same again? I don't understand what you are trying to tell me.' _Belle thought to Dahlia in a panic as she tried to process her words.

'_You feel like you are alone, but you are not alone. But you think that you will not heal and that the pain feels too real, and you feel like there's just too much that time cannot erase.' _Dahlia said to Belle as her voice faded away completely.

At that moment, Belle felt numb and alone. All that was going through her mind was the phrases that Dahlia had said to her.

_You feel like you alone, but you are not…_

_You think that you will not heal…_

_The pain feels too real,_

_Just too much that time cannot erase._


	3. Chapter 3 The Journey Begins

**A/N: I am sorry for the long delay for this story its hard to believe I finally got it done, but I am sorry for shortening the end I kind of wanted to leave a mystery behind it. ^^; With college, dealing with personal issues, and constantly tackling homework all of that took me forever to get this out to my readers and people who are still watching me.**

**Chapter 3 The Journey Begins**

**The Cottage**

Meanwhile, back at the cottage Jolie and Mirielle were still waiting around for their father and brothers to come back. However, the two sisters knew that it would be around twilight before their return. They were in their only room that they were sharing with Belle. "I love that we have all this space in our room," Mirielle said to Jolie ecstatically with no remorse in her heart.

"I do not think she will survive the woods or wherever the hell she is going." Jolie said to Mirielle with a laugh.

"Jolie I am just glad she is gone. I cannot wait to see the look on father's face when he and our brother's arrive." Mirielle said to Jolie as she cackled. The two young women could hear the front door opening and a man's voice calling their names. Both of them thought in their heads "It's showtime!" Running out of their room pretending like they were in distress and upset over "Belle's letter" that she left. A short man, with some white hair around his head, and a white mustache with dark brown eyes were staring up at her his daughter's.

"Father something terrible has happened," Jolie said to Maurice with tears in her eyes as she held Belle's letter tight in her hand. "What's the matter, Jolie? I was not expecting you to come running down. I only expected that from Belle, but not you two." Maurice said to Jolie as he kept babbling, and Mirielle only stood beside him silently.

"Belle left a letter for you and it does not sound like her at all," Jolie said to Maurice as she handed him the letter.

Dear Papa, I tired of living as a poor maiden in this little cottage. I have decided to kill myself and I am not sorry for what I am about to do. That is if a rich man does not want to marry me. Adieu forever, Belle

"This does not sound like my daughter at all. I cannot believe that she wants to commit suicide because we are poor and she is use to having such fine things." Maurice said to Jolie and Mirielle shocked at the sudden news.

"Well I think that Belle is an ungrateful, spoiled brat. Who always tried to deceive you into thinking that the finer things in life and inner beauty was all that she cared about." Mirielle said to Maurice in a haughty tone of voice.

"What a deceitful and vain little pretender, Belle was! She is better off killing herself you do not need to go through all that agony and despair over her anyway." Jolie said to Maurice in a shocked voice trying to act sincere towards him.

They both were waiting for their father to say something to them about Belle, so they could come up with some more snide comments about her some more. "It just breaks my heart that she would leave us without saying goodbye especially to me. Your brother's are far behind taking care of chores, so I will tell them about Belle." Maurice said to Jolie and Mirielle sadly as he held on to Belle's letter, and stood in the small living room looking dumbfounded.

* * *

**Donovan**

He was so deep into his thoughts about how ugly he felt on the outside that he had realized that the curse was not the purpose for him to dwell on his new look. Donovan looked at his now thick, blondish-brown hair that resembled a lion's mane, he looked at his head and beard that resembled a buffalo, his eyebrows resembled a gorilla's, his black tusks resembled a wild boar, his whole body resembled a bare, and his arms, legs, and tail resembled a wolf. The only part of his newly transformed body was that his eyes looked human and complete innocence.

''If I had known that I was this ugly in the inside and looking handsome on the outside. I would have thought twice before answering the enchantress's question.' Donovan thought to himself as he raised his arm up to the mirror.

Donovan still didn't want to talk to Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, or Cogsworth at the moment. He was in no mood to hear their positive and encouraging sermons about waiting for the young maiden to arrive and break the enchantment spell, so everything could go back to the way it was before. However, Donovan knew that breaking the curse would not be easily broken the way his servants were all thinking. He didn't have to ask them about what they thought he just knew them all so well.

"Monsieur I cannot bare the suspense of not knowing if you are okay," A French male accent voice said behind Donovan.

"Lumiere I told you and the others to stay in your rooms," Donovan said to Lumiere in a serene tone trying not to let his temper seethe through his façade.

"Master you don't have to face me. I just wanted to know what you were thinking and if you wanted to confide in me as well." Lumiere said to Donovan still facing his master's back.

"Of course I will confide in you, Lumiere." Donovan said to Lumiere.

Donovan once again lost himself into his own thoughts. He could not believe that Lumiere was brave enough to come down stairs just to check up on him. Then, it amazed him that the enchantress appeared to him when he called on her. He was sure that she would not want to talk to him again after he acted like a jerk and disrespected her, too. The conversation that he had with the enchantress still haunted his thoughts every waking second.

"Wench I have listened to what you had to say and I refuse to let you step foot any further in my castle!"

" It's a shame that you have everything your heart desires, but you are blind to not see the real meaning of beauty."

The words that he had said to the enchantress sounded so harsh and snobby as he replayed their conversation in his head. Donovan could not believe that he called her a wench. He felt like his heart twisted as he thought about what he said was out of line. Donovan knew his parents would be extremely disappointed over him being turned into a creäture. However, he assumed that they probably would not have cared how he treated the Enchantress at all. Donovan wanted to know the enchantress name, but he was afraid to ask her.

"My name is Dahlia, my dearest Donovan." Dahlia said to Donovan.

"Dahlia I cannot just stay in this castle forever. How can meeting a young woman change the beast that I am?" Donovan said to Dahlia exasperated within his own emotions.

"You are on to something, Donovan. I should make this curse put upon you harsher in order, for you to learn your lesson." Dahlia said to Donovan in a taunting tone.

"Then grace with the punishment that you think I deserve," Donovan said to Dahlia exasperated.

"For your punishment you are not allowed to stay in your castle. You will be out there in the real world, but there's a catch. You cannot tell anybody that you are a prince." Dahlia said to Donovan.

"What happens if I do end up telling somebody that I'm a prince?" Donovan asked Dahlia curiously.

Dahlia crossed her arms and gave him such a smug and stern look at the same time. Donovan was wondering why she was scrutinizing him like that, so he had decided instead of asking her that he would just wait for her to answer his question.

"If you tell anybody that you are the prince that person will disappear from this world and end up in an alternate heaven," Dahlia said to Donovan in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Who exactly is the person would you really put into an alternate heaven?" Donovan asked Dahlia in concern.

"I will vanquish the young woman who is searching for something important that she's missing," Dahlia said to Donovan.

"That is a sadistic and twisted punishment that the young woman will have to suffer because of me." Donovan said to Dahlia sorrowfully.

Dahlia did not say anything else to Donovan right in front of his innocent looking eyes she disappeared. All Donovan had left was her beautifully, haunted voice saying.

'Leave your castle and don't take anything with you. I will take care of the things you need. Do not let anybody know that you are gone. Walk among the wilderness in the dark forest and go to the village...' Dahlia said to Donovan in a faint voice.

* * *

**Belle**

The blue sky and white clouds that Belle was use to seeing. She had began to notice that the sky had changed before her eyes into a dark gray, and the lively trees that looked so exquisite had turned into deadened trees, and the healthy grass turned brown with every step she took. Belle could not understand how the beautiful woods could turn into nothing but dreariness. She had begun to wonder if Dahlia had anything to do with the woods changing from brightness to dreariness.

'Don't think about what has changed around in your surroundings. That is not what's important.' Dahlia whispered through Belle's mind.

"What do you mean about the changes around me?" Belle asked Dahlia out loud through the empty woods.

'I have something important to tell you. There is only a certain part of the woods that you can go through, but you are not allowed to go in the bright side of the woods.' Dahlia said to Belle through her mind.

"Why am I not allowed to go to the bright side of the woods?" Belle asked Dahlia even though she knew her response would be in her head.

'You are not ready to face the bright side of the woods, yet. I want you to go through a tough journey, but don't worry you will thank me later for what I have done to you,' Dahlia said to Belle reassuringly.

"I am so happy that I am finally on a real adventure like heroines in the books I have read," Belle said out loud to Dahlia.

"Yes, but your journey means more than just discovering new things and the world around you, Belle.' Dahlia said to Belle in a reminding tone.

Belle was hoping that Dahlia would say something else to her, but all was quiet in her head before Dahlia had started speaking to her. Out in the open, Belle had found what looked like silver armor and red clothing that goes along with the armor, the pants looked dark brown or black, but she couldn't tell exactly. By the armor attire she saw a long silver sword and a small dagger that has a red sling that goes with it. Her lips pulled into a smile she couldn't believe that her dream adventure was starting to come true.

'I can't believe Dahlia knows exactly what adventure that I want to have in this redundant life of mine.' Belle thought to herself happily as she felt a glimmer of hope.

Belle ran to the open field where the armor attire laid resting on the brown grass. She picked up the attire and hid behind the biggest tree that she could find and undressed out of her maiden clothes and put on the armor attire. Belle had on black leather gloves, mahogany shirt, black boots, and her hair splayed down her shoulders. She secretly wished that there was a mahogany hair bow for her to wear into a ponytail; however, she didn't want to complain to Dahlia in her mind about it. Belle picked up her silver sword and dagger she noticed that on the handle of the sword there was a symbol in the color of mahogany. Then she had looked and noticed a bow and a set of arrows on the ground, too. Belle couldn't believe that she had missed those. She put on her waist belt and slipped the sword and dagger in their own sheaths and slung the bow and arrow sling on her right shoulder.

"I'm ready to conquer any kind of darkness and magic that I will be facing in these woods." Belle said out loud to the woods.

When she spoke those words the wind blew out of nowhere and then a screeching noise came echoing out towards her way. Belle whipped her head around toward the mysterious cry and her dark brown eyes widened, with curiosity and out of fear at the same time. She had started to question herself on whether she was ready to face what was out there in the woods.


End file.
